Modern Pentathlon: Inspired by Salah, Egyptian Elgendy aims for gold in Paris

CAIRO: When Ahmed Elgendy met Mohamed Salah in January, he received a pep talk and posed for a photo with the Egyptian football star while wearing the modern pentathlon silver medal he won at the Tokyo Olympics.

Yet the 24-year-old dreams of taking another photo with Salah after the upcoming Paris Olympics, but this time he hopes to wear a gold medal as he seeks to etch his name deeper into Egypt’s sporting history.

“Salah is a role model for all of us. Having a conversation with him, not just taking a photo, is something very important,” Elgendy told Reuters. “We talked about the Olympics and the preparations; it was a very good meeting.”

Elgendy was relatively unknown when he made history in Tokyo, becoming the first African to win an Olympic medal in modern pentathlon.

A late comeback in the men’s individual event saw him finish just behind gold medallist Joe Choong of Britain.

He has since been plagued by injuries, including a shoulder injury that forced him out of the semi-finals of the World Pentathlon Championships last month.

However, after an intensive rehabilitation programme he has been declared fit and is hoping to win a gold medal in Paris.

“Things are different today compared to Tokyo. I have more experience and confidence. In the last three years, I have only competed in seven championships due to my shoulder injuries, but I have won medals in five of them,” Elgendy said.

“My main goal is to win gold, but I will also be happy if I win silver or bronze, because it will mark a second consecutive Olympic medal.”

Modern pentathlon athletes will face an additional challenge in Paris, with a jumping event in the semi-finals and final. In Tokyo, this event was held over a single round.

In equestrian competitions, riders are randomly assigned horses just 20 minutes before the start. The equestrian event will be removed from the Los Angeles 2028 Games, making way for obstacle racing.

“There is now a bigger risk in terms of riding, it is a bigger challenge. We hope things will go well,” Elgendy added.

Elgendy, currently ranked fourth in the world, is aware of the pressure he faces as Egypt’s main hope for glory in Paris. He has also been chosen as Egypt’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

“I know I’m in the spotlight now, unlike in Tokyo. But I take positives from it and see it as extra motivation,” he said.